KANE'S EXPEDITION (1855) 39 



coverlets, which were abundantly quilted with eider-down. 

 Two buffalo-robes of the same size with the coverlets 

 were arranged so as to button on them, forming sleeping- 

 sacks for the occasion, but easily detached for the purpose 

 of drying or airing. 



" Our provision-bags were of assorted sizes, to fit under 

 the thwarts of the boats. They were of sail-cloth made 

 water-tight by tar and pitch, which we kept from pene- 

 trating the canvas by first coating it with flour-paste and 

 plaster of Paris. The bread-bags were double, the inner 

 saturated with paste and plaster by boiling in the 

 mixture, and the space betweeen the two filled with 

 pitch. Every bag was, in sailor-phrase, roped and 

 becketed ; in ordinary parlance, well secured by cordage. 



"These different manufactures had all of them been 

 going on through the winter, and more rapidly as the 

 spring advanced. They had given employment to the 

 thoughts of our sick men, and in this way had exerted 

 a wholesome influence on their moral tone and assisted 

 their convalescence. Other preparations had been begun 

 more recently. The provisions for the descent were to 

 be got ready and packed. The ship-bread was powdered 

 by beating it with a capstan-bar, and pressed down into 

 the bags which were to carry it. Pork-fat and tallow 

 were melted down, and poured into other bags to freeze. 

 A stock of concentrated bean-soup was cooked, and 

 secured for carriage like the pork -fat ; and the flour and 

 remaining meat - biscuit were to be protected from 

 moisture in double bags. These were the only provisions 

 we were to carry with us. I knew I should be able to 

 subsist the party for some time after their setting out 

 by the food I could bring from the vessel by occasional 

 trips with my dog-team. For the rest, we relied upon 

 our guns. 



" Besides all this, we had our camp equipage to get in 



